Hell's Kitchen: Season Finale

By tweedle, August 01, 2005

The Making of a Master Chef

The Finale

Tonight we begin with a recap of everything from the beginning of the show and each eviction, Carol Ann, Dewberry, Jeff, Wendy, Mary Ellen, Chris, Andrew, Jimmy, Elsie and last week Jessica. Tonight, Ralph and Michael will battle it out to win the restaurant of their dreams and the title "Master Chef".

Ramsatan congratulates the two finalists on making it to the end. They are told to enjoy a moment with their families. Michael's wife tells him "You can do this!", Ralph's uncle tells him "You're gonna win!" Ralph and Michael relax on the patio, chatting to each other about the competition and the prize.

9:30am, they are called to the dining room. Ramsatan tells Michael, tonight he needs to "unleash the beast" and he tells Ralph he needs to control himself.

The guys each stand on separate sides of the dining room, a huge fabric drape drops down between them splitting the dining room in half. Design the restaurant, write their own menus, run their kitchens, in other words become the owners of their own restaurants. As their support team they have access to a decorator/designer, JP will help with style of service, the Souse chefs will aid them as well.

Michael wants minimal, private and simple. Ralph wants open, sharing, and characters on the wall? They have to decide on what their wait staff will wear. The construction begins and they start working on their menus. There is a snafu on Ralph's wallpaper arriving. Ramsatan seems a bit nervous about the restaurant styles as of right now. He heads to the kitchen and talks to Michael and Ralph.

They are told to prepare their signature dishes for Ramsatan. Ralph has chosen a dish that is made for two, porter house steak, Michael's is braised short ribs. The dishes are taken out to the streets to be evaluated. They stop people on the street to taste both dishes and choose which one they prefer. Ralph tries to sell his dish while Michael just lets people taste them. Michael wins 12 to 6, Ralph blames this on the fact Michael's dish was built to be a street food.

Ramsatan tells them they will be serving the hot plate, the spot that Ramsatan has worked from until now. They are going to cook for the construction crews. Michael needs to be louder and more energetic. Michael "You guys cook like old people f***!". Ralph is plenty loud enough, clear and concise. He urges his cooks along. Michael sabotages Ralph by sending out risottos without crab in them. Ralph sends it out, even after tasting it, but the customer catches the mistake and sends it back.

Ralph also keeps called Jean Philippe, Jean Pierre which is pissing off the Frenchman. Ralph goes after Michael and asks what he is doing to him. Ralph was looking good on the hot plate until the risotto. Ralph needs to be more aware of quality and Michael's needs to be more aggressive. We get a montage of Michael trying to do his best to transform into Chef Ramsatan. Michael goes out to the bill board to talk to Ramsay.

Ralph gives us a litany of sports analogies. Michael has a plan of attack and his lists. They check out the decor of their individual restaurants. They both seem very pleased with how their designer has transformed their individual restaurants. Michael has some snags, his booths are late in arriving and the designer feels his decor is to cool. They are called into the kitchen to meet their staff members.

Ramsatan prefaces the meeting by saying each of these staff members have been hand picked by him and have worked with him before. Michael and Ralph are being led to believe these are professionals from other Ramsatan restaurants....right up until the moment when Blueberry walks into the kitchen! Ralph looks stunned. Michael as winner of the challenge, gets to choose first.

Michael choose Jessica, Jimmy and Elsie. Ralph chooses Andrew, Wendy and Blueberry. The dismissed chefs are somewhat envious but seem ready to help their head chef's win, although Jessica is upset to not be working for Ralph. The teams work on their prep for the dinner service. Michael and Ralph meet their wait staff and talk with them about what they expect.

Andrew has cut himself while peeling the artichokes and has to go to the hospital. Andrew intends to be back in time for dinner service. Ralph is pushing Wendy and Blueberry to pick up the slack. Ralph is planning to work the pass and veggie station with Andrew possibly not returning in time. Ramsatan tells Ralph his restaurant looks warm and beautiful, rich and sumptuous. He thinks Ralph’s gents look good but the women look like grannies.

Ramsatan says wow twice when he enters Michael's restaurant, bright, pretty and he likes the leather. He like the attire Michael has chosen for his staff. Ralph is pushing Wendy and Blueberry even more and suddenly Andrew makes it back in time, he got four stitches and is just fine. Michael gives his crew a pep talk before they begin. Ralph tries to give a pep talk and comes off as a bit intense, asking for perfection.

The restaurant's are Frank and Lulu's [Ralph's, named for dogs] and LolaPop's [Michael's named for his wife]. The orders begin to come in and the cooks jump into action. Michael got a bit lost and flustered at first. Michael needs to pull them together, but the orders are going out. Ralph without meaning to he has confused Wendy. He has an antipasto wagon going out in the dining room to buy his kitchen time.

Michael's side sent out a dish with a piece of plastic in it. He tells Elsie she gets one time and then he will kill her. Jessica and Elsie start bickering with each other and Michael tries to smooth things over and get his kitchen working well. Ralph's kitchen has rallied. Dewberry is worried he might pass out on Ralph. Jean Philippe calls Ralph to the pass because he needs to speed things up. Blueberry leaves the kitchen because he is about to pass out. Ralph is now down one man while Blueberry rests and tries to catch his breath.

Dewberry pushes onward and comes back to the line. Ralph jumps in to help Blueberry out for a bit till he gets back up to speed. He tells Blueberry he is a rock, his a diamond, Blueberry says he would rather he say he is Brad Pitts wife. Ralph decides Blueberry has issues. A plate goes out on Michael's side that is undercooked and Michael finds it in himself to become aggressive and push his cooks. Both chefs take a page from the Ramsay book of running a kitchen.

Both kitchens are getting closer to the end, the desserts are starting to roll out. Both chefs have produced excellent food and neither is giving up an inch. Both kitchens complete their services and the chefs congratulate their staff. Some of Michael's customers come up to tell them how much they enjoyed their meals. It's coming to the big decision, who will get their own restaurant.

Ramsatan asks them if they are ready for the decision, they say "Yes Chef!", Ramsatan says he is not. He is going to study the customer comment cards and make his decision. They will be called back to the kitchen when it has been decided. They both feel fairly confident about their own performances. Both chefs talk to pictures of their wife/fiancé and tell them they did it for them.

The chefs are blindfolded and led out around to the doors of the restaurant where Ramsatan waits to talk to them. Ramsatan is very pleased with both of them. The question Ramsatan is relying on most is "Would you return to this restaurant?" One side had 90% and the other had 94%. They are each to try to open the door behind them, only one door will open and that one has one the restaurant.

They turn face the doors, hug each other, and then on the count of three they both try the door. It is Michael's door that is unlocked and he enters to find a restaurant full of cheering people, his wife and all the cooks that helped him win. Michael is now the owner of his dream restaurant. Ralph is disappointed but feels very good about how he did and he should. Michael shows off his hand tattoos that say "Head Chef".

Ramsatan offers Michael the chance to go to London and work with Ramsay to work to become a world class chef. Michael chooses working with Ramsay over owning his own restaurant. So there will be no restaurant for Michael for now, other than the one he works at with Ramsay in England. I am sure we have not heard the last of this talented young man.